Sheriff: Inmates should earn their keep

Sheriff Chuck Wright wants chain gangs or something like it

The Spartanburg County Sheriff is getting national attention again -- this time for an idea that he says could cut overcrowding in prisons and save taxpayers money.

Sheriff Chuck Wright says he wants to bring back chain gangs. He's doing a lot of research and hopes to have legislation drafted by the end of the year.

Wright said South Carolina inmates have it better than American soldiers fighting for our freedom.

"We're paying $47.38 a day for a prisoner to sit around and get three square meals a day, and have all his needs met," Wright said.

If Wright gets his way, inmates could soon be earning their keep.

"I'm not asking them to do anything differently than you or I do on the weekends when we're cleaning up trash out of our yards, or picking up limbs, or cutting grass."

Wright is working with Upstate Rep. Bill Chumley to create legislation that would mandate a behavior modification program.

He said, "I'm not hung up on the name 'chain gang.'"

There are work programs now - but they're voluntary.

"Tell me why a person who is convicted of a crime has a say in what their sentence should be. That'd be the same thing, if you ask me, OK, I caught you speeding. Now I've to sentence you to five years of something. Now what do you want to do? Send me to the Bahamas, man. I'm going to get the easiest punishment i can possibly get."

Wright position got him on CNN over the weekend, where he said, Iit doesn't matter to me if there are chains on them or not. We have different alternatives. There is a thing called a stun belt."

Wright says he's still sorting out the specifics, but his plan is all about accountability. Not abuse.

"You can sentence them to three, five, seven years on the chain gang, as opposed to letting them sit down in our prison and figure out a better way to be a crook," he said.

Copyright 2013 byWYFF All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.